6 THE NATUEAXIST IN BERMUDA. 



have specimens of Turbo pica now in our possession, 

 whicli we obtained on the hilly ground of Smith's parish, 

 adjacent to Hungry Bay ; and it puzzled us not a little as 

 to how these large shells could get into that position, being 

 some thirty feet above the level of the sea; but Col. Nelson 

 throws considerable light on the matter, by stating that the 

 soldier-crab is the means of bringing them into these high 

 positions.* 



Extensive engineering operations, road -making, deepen- 

 ing channels, &c., have afforded an opportunity never 

 hitherto possessed by writers on coral-belts, throwing much 

 light upon the subterranean formation of the islands ; and 

 caverns of various dimensions have been discovered at 

 different times during the progress of the works. 



The Colonel states that, whilst cutting the escarp of the 

 Korth Bastion at Ireland Island, a cavern was opened 

 which contained great numbers of a large and delicate 

 Helix, and a heap of the dry red earth of the islands, since 

 determined by him to be mainly of animal origin. In this 

 earthy matter were quantities of birds' bones ; and on ano- 

 ther occasion, whilst excavating a ditch, a small hole was 

 discovered in a rather hard rock, composed of comminuted 

 fragments, with the interstices not filled up. This hole was 

 about twenty feet above the sea, thirty yards from it, and 

 fifteen feet from the top of the hill, and without any appa- 

 rent connection with the surface. In this hole were found 

 an egg shell, and many fragments of bones, similar to the 

 preceding; but they were all, as well as the egg, coated with 



* This animal has been seen actually climbing up a door-post, laying hold 

 of the arris-edge by its claws. 



